Foldable boat construction



V. HARASTY FOLDABLE BOAT CONSTRUCTION March 13, 1951 Filed Oct. 16, 1948 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDABLE BOAT CONSTRUCTION Viktor Harasty, Whitestone, N. Y.

Appiication October 16, 1948, Serial No. 54,919

1 Claim. (01. 92)

This invention relates to a foldable boat construction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a boat construction which will permit the boat to be folded for the purpose of being transported and to take up little space and wherein the boat can be quickly and easily extended at times when the boat is to be used without the necessity of having to make connections of parts in a complicated manner.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a foldable boat construction which is simple, inexpensive to manufacture and convenient to use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my boat construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the boat frame pieces without the covering extended over them.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of the end of the frame pieces after they have been extended and with dotted lines showing them in a collapsed state.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the frame specially treated or waterproof material is extended over the frame pieces and secured to the same by stitching or other suitable means. The frame pieces are retained in their extended positions by an adjustable brace rod arrangement I! having a turn buckle l8 therein adapted to be adjusted to lengthen or shorten the brace arrangement. On the lower end of the brace is 'a hook 19, Fig. 6, adapted to enter holes 2| in bottom frame piece IE to fix the brace thereto. The upper end of the brace has a downwardly bent end portion 22 with threads 23 thereon. This portion can be extended downwardly to the upper 7 frame H3 in the manner as shown in Fig. 6 and IS pieces as shaped and connected at the forward end.

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail side elevational view of one of the brace rods which extends from the top frame piece of the boat to the center or bottom frame piece.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary and cross-sectional view of the side of a boat having a fender or fioatable piece extending along the side of the same.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary and cross-sectional view of a modified. form of construction employing floatable material within the sides of the boat and extending inwardly into the same.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 to 6, Iii represents a bottom frame piece which is turned up at its ends and connected respectively to end plates II and I2. Above the bottom frame piece it and at each side thereof are two ribs i3 and M which are likewise turned inwardly and pivotally connected by pins I5 to the plates H and I2. These frame pieces can be pivoted downwardly to the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and can be folded downwardly upon the fixed or stationary piece 10 when the boat is to be collapsed. A covering I6 of canvas or other made secure thereto by a thumb nut 24.

Along the bottom of the flexible canvas or covering there are extended a plurality of laterally spacedfoot boards 25 which are secured to the covering by the stitching of a flexible strip 26 over the boards and to the covering and this flexible. strip extending further upwardly and over the frame piece l3 as indicated at 21. There are several of these strips 26 extended across the bottom of the boat to retain the foot boards or floor pieces 25.

The upper edges of the covering l6 are folded over the top frame pieces l4 and stitched or secured as indicated at 28; Within these stitchings '28 there may be secured laterally extending strips 23 having loops 3| through which seats 32 may be extended and retained. These seats 32 are removed when the boat is folded downwardly or collapsed. The braces l1 likewise may be removed.

In Fig. 7, there is provided a resilient and preferably a fioatably resilient material 34 in the covering and adapted to extend outwardly from the side of the boat whereby to provide a fender for the boat and at the same time provide lightweight material which will revent the boat from sinking. The covering is extended downwardly on the inside of the boat and is finally stitched at 35 to include the material 34.

In Fig. 8, the resilient or fioatable material is extended toward the interior of the boat as indicated at 36 and there are three strips of the same extending along the inner side of the boat. The covering material is extended downwardly to the bottom of the side of the boat and over the rib l3 and finally secured as indicated at 31 to the bottom portion of the covering material at the bottom of the boat.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of my invention, what is claimed is:

A foldable boat construction comprising a bottom frame piece having its ends turned upwardly, end plates fixedly connected to the upper ends of the bottom frame piece, other frame pieces with turned in ends pivotally connected by their ends to the plates and adapted to be pivoted upwardly to provide the shape of the boat, a flexible covering extended over the frame pieces and adapted to be stretched as the frame pieces are raised, and brace means in the ends of the boat adapted to be extended between the upper frame :pieces and the bottom frame piece whereby to retain the frame pieces in their raised and extended positions, said brace means comprising rods with a turnbuckle extended therebetween, one of said rods being bent downwardly to be inserted through the top frame piece and having means on the downwardly bent end for preventing the frame piece from slipping downwardly from the bent end, and quick attachable means for securing the other rod to the bottom frame file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,067,659 Kankkonen July 15, 1913 1,595,096 Hooker Aug. 10, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 12,843 Great Britain 1898 192,782 Great Britain Feb. 9, 1923 778,706 France Mar. 22, 1935 

